Lap-robe and splatter-dasher



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(Model.)

J. J. WILLIAMSON.

LAP ROBE AND SPLATTER DASHER.

No. 346,006. Painted July 20, 1886.

Fig. l-

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(ModeL) J. J. WILLIAMSON.

LAP ROBE AND SPLATTER DASHER.

Patented July 20, 1886.

N. PUERS Pholo-Lithographsr. Washinglon. n1;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. XVILLIAMSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAP-ROBE AND SPLATTER-DASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,006, dated July 20,1886.

(Modeh) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. WILLIAMsON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Riders or Horsemens Lap-Robes and Splatter-Dashers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention comprises a robe or blanket made of suitable material and adapted to pro tect the rider of a horse from the inclemency of the weather, from mud and dirt from the roads, and also to protect the clothing from injury by contact with bushes, branches, &c., in riding.

The robe is arranged, preferably, so as to be fastened either to the pommel. or cantle of the saddle when not in use, and, if desired, to be habitually carried there. It is made of one or more pieces, and, if of one, it is slitted or opened on one side to permit the rider to mount the saddle and adjust the robe or blanket about him. It has an opening in the center, which is adapted to receive the waist of the rider, and the robe is adapted to be fastened to the body of the wearer and the opening to be closed by any appliance convenient for such purpose, such as a strap and buckle, a tape, or cord, either attached to the ends of the circular waist part or led through a hem around the edge of the circular, as may be desired, so that by the pulling of the ends of the cord or string the edge of the blanket or robe about the opening may be gathered about the wearer.

The edges of the robe or blanket on either side of the slit or opening may be brought together and held by any suitable means, such as straps and buckles, tapes, cords, &c. The robe may also be provided with such openings as may be necessary to enable the rider, when it is in use, to reach the pistol-holsters, saddle-pouches, 850., and these openings may be protected by lapels. Pockets may also be placed in the robe for the convenience of the user. The robe is also provided with buttonholes or cords or other fastenings suitable for securing the robe to the saddle either while in use or when it is folded or packed up upon the saddle. In case these fastenings are intended for use in holding the robe to a saddle when in use by the rider, care should be exercised in selecting only such fastenings as will perform that duty in such a manner that in case of accident to the rider the fastenings may be readily broken or detached, and thus not endanger the rider to the peril of being dragged by the robe.

The flaps of the robe project downward to about the level of the bottom of the stirrup, and are so shaped that they may be used as splasher-dashers to protect the lower leg and dress of the rider from the effects of the splashes of mud, dirt, &c., by the horses feet by bringing the edges of the skirts of the robe together under or inside of the riders leg or dress, or fastening the edges together by suitable means which are adapted to the lower portion of the skirt.

The robe should be of such dimensions, if used for a man, as to permit of the covering of the entire saddle and the rider from the waist downward to or about the-level of the bottom of the stirrups, so that in case of wet weather the lower portion of the riders body is fully protected from the weather as well as from the mud splashed by the horse.

XVhcn the robe is fitted for the use of women only, the near or left side of the robe needs to be made ample in depth from the waist only, and of sufficient width to permit its being wrapped about the lower leg and body of the wearer and fastened as in the case of the robe for men. The off or right side of the robe must be of a depth and fullness only to well cover that side of the wearer and protect the saddle skirt and blanket from exposure.

The robe for women should be of good width from front to rear, from pommel to cantle, to protect the rider fully, as from the manner in which women sit a horse the space occupied along the line of the animals back is much greater than that of a man bestride the animal.

The robe can be so arranged with regard to the said openings that it can be used to protect the saddle-seat, when unoccupied, by closing the openings or by folding the robe over the saddle, so that in case of wet weather said seat may be kept dry when not in use.

The robe may be of a material impervious to weather and of such consistency as to afford protection to the rider from the effects of all inclemencies of the weather, as well as from contact with brush, bushes, burrs, &c.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view representing the robe or blanket as in use and in elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the robe or blanket detached and spread out. Fig. 3 is a View similar to that of Fig. 1, the ends of the skirt, however, being represented as drawn together to surround the leg and dress of the wearer. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line a; 00 of Fig. 3.

A is the robe or blanket; a,the left flap, and a the right flap. B is the waist-opening, and O is a strap or cord extending through a hem formed upon the edge of the waist-opening, in which it is free to move. This cord is used in drawing the blanket about the waist of the wearer. Any other form of fastening may, however, be employed. The left skirt, a, has a slit, a extending from the lower edge of the flap to the waist-opening, and it may have the part or underlapping section a. The two parts a a of this left flap are adapted to be secured together by cords or strings a or in any other desirable way. The flaps are also provided with the fastenings a a by which their front and rear edges are brought together and secured upon the inside of the riders legs, substantially as represented in Fig. 4:. Any suitable fastening may be used for this purpose. L

The fastenings for securing the blanket or robe to the saddle are not represented.

The riding-apron of English fox-hunters, usually made of rubber cloth, is of a figure like a section through the axis of a frustum of a cone, and is worn with the narrow side belted to the waist and the broad bottom laid over the saddle-pommel, and coming down in front of the knees, while the side edges fall from waist behind the thighs, and the garment is much like an unplaited kilt split behind. Sometimes it is concaved toward the waist in the center of the lower edge; but I do not know of itever being made scalloped, asmine is shown.

The English Patents No. 34 of 1869, No. 11,879 of 188%, and No. 1,611 of 1858 show modifications of pouches or riding aprons or skirts for various purposes, and No. 11,287 of 1884 shows a form of riding-skirt for ladies use, which, in addition to the skirt, has kneesleeves for keeping the skirt in place, and, indeed, both these patents of 1884 are developments of the divided skirt, so called, in-

troduced in Germany about ten years ago by a celebrated Berlin teacher and author. But the peculiarity of the lap-robe splatter-dasher invented by me, which distinguishes it from all these prior contrivances, is, that it has three fiapsnamely, two side flaps, a and a, each extending behind downward from abreast the center of the hole for the waist of the wearer, and in front of about half that depth,- and one pommel-flap situated in front between the two side flaps, and having its edges about concentric with the edge of the hole for the waist, and one of the side flaps is split and provided with attachments for reuniting it; also, that it has corner attachments on the side fiaps which fasten it to and around the legs. I therefore do not claim the things shown in said English patents, or known in the ridingapron or divided skirt of the equestrian costume, but only the novel features illustrated by me above.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. A riding lap robe or blanket whereof the front edge is scalloped so as to form a central pommel-flap, the outer edge of which pommel -fiap is nearly concentric with the waist-hole B, and which has two side flaps, a and a, one of which, a, is split from top to bottom into two half-flaps, a a, which riding robe or blanket is pierced at the center for the waist of the wearer, at B, and provided with a belt, 0, to gather the edges of the hole 13 to the waist of the wearer, and with attachments a, to connect the inner edges of the side halfflaps, a" a, with each other, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A riding robe or blanket pierced at the center, at B, asshown, and formed with aside flap, a, two side half-flaps, a a a belt, 0, and attachments a, for fitting the aperture to the waist of the wearer and uniting the edges of the half-flaps a a to each other, and with a forwardly-projecting pommel-flap between the two side flaps, a a, and provided with attachments at a at the lower corners of the side flaps, to fasten them around the leg of the wearer, substantially as described.

3. A riding robe or blanket pierced at the center, at B,'as shown, and formed with two side flaps, a and a, and slitted from the central opening to the edge of the robe, provided with a belt, 0, and attachments a, for fitting the edge of the central aperture to the waist of the wearer and uniting the edges of the slitted portion to each other, and also with attachments a a for fastening the side flaps about the leg or dress of the wearer, substantially as described.

JNO. J. \VILLIAMSON.

\Vitnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, FRED. B. DoLAN. 

